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A Celebration of Woodland Plants with Jack Aldridge ( Wisley Gardens) & Jimi Blake
Woodland Plant Masterclass
Date: Monday, 27th April 2026
Time: 10:30AM - 4PM
Cost €150
It’s that time of year when the garden is springing back to life and preparing itself for an exciting year ahead. Join Jack Aldridge and Jimi Blake they shares their passion for woodland plants on a walk and talk around the garden, practical demonstrations and illustrated lectures. Jack and Jimi will introduce you to the plants that put on their show at this time of year and explain how best to grow them, how to combine them in the garden to create a stunning spring garden
Jack Aldidge - As a plantsman with wide and eclectic interests in different plants of all kinds, woodland gardening has always greatly appealed to me, given the way it can involve everything from trees, shrubs and climbers to ferns, grasses, herbaceous perennials, bulbs and other spring ephemerals - the most dynamic woodland garden should incorporate some of all of these. These two heavily illustrated talks will cover some of my favourite woodland plants: the first will include woody plants and their selection, pruning and management of the canopy, followed by a second covering the many treasures that make up the rich woodland understory.
Speaker bio: Jack Aldridge is a horticulturist and writer with a broad range of eclectic plant interests. Based at RHS Garden Wisley, he currently oversees the Rock Garden and Alpine collections as Team Leader, having previously been responsible for the 4.5-acre woodland garden known as Oakwood. Upon leaving school, Jack completed the prestigious and intensive Wisley Diploma, graduating in 2022. He greatly enjoys researching, speaking and writing about plants, giving talks to interested groups and contributing regular articles for horticultural publications, as well as writing for IDS Trees & Shrubs Online. He is an active member of the RHS Woody Plant Committee and is involved with their Award of Garden Merit trials. He is also a Trustee of Maurice Foster’s White House Farm Garden and Arboretum. In 2024, Jack was honoured to receive the RHS Roy Lancaster Award, given to individuals aged 35 or under who have made ‘an exceptional contribution to the practice, science or promotion of horticulture
This is an exceptional opportunity to see Hunting Brook Gardens at this time of year when the gardens are generally not open to the public
Tea/Coffee on arrival
Mid-Morning Tea/Coffee and cakes
Please bring a packed lunch
Woodland Plant Masterclass
Date: Monday, 27th April 2026
Time: 10:30AM - 4PM
Cost €150
It’s that time of year when the garden is springing back to life and preparing itself for an exciting year ahead. Join Jack Aldridge and Jimi Blake they shares their passion for woodland plants on a walk and talk around the garden, practical demonstrations and illustrated lectures. Jack and Jimi will introduce you to the plants that put on their show at this time of year and explain how best to grow them, how to combine them in the garden to create a stunning spring garden
Jack Aldidge - As a plantsman with wide and eclectic interests in different plants of all kinds, woodland gardening has always greatly appealed to me, given the way it can involve everything from trees, shrubs and climbers to ferns, grasses, herbaceous perennials, bulbs and other spring ephemerals - the most dynamic woodland garden should incorporate some of all of these. These two heavily illustrated talks will cover some of my favourite woodland plants: the first will include woody plants and their selection, pruning and management of the canopy, followed by a second covering the many treasures that make up the rich woodland understory.
Speaker bio: Jack Aldridge is a horticulturist and writer with a broad range of eclectic plant interests. Based at RHS Garden Wisley, he currently oversees the Rock Garden and Alpine collections as Team Leader, having previously been responsible for the 4.5-acre woodland garden known as Oakwood. Upon leaving school, Jack completed the prestigious and intensive Wisley Diploma, graduating in 2022. He greatly enjoys researching, speaking and writing about plants, giving talks to interested groups and contributing regular articles for horticultural publications, as well as writing for IDS Trees & Shrubs Online. He is an active member of the RHS Woody Plant Committee and is involved with their Award of Garden Merit trials. He is also a Trustee of Maurice Foster’s White House Farm Garden and Arboretum. In 2024, Jack was honoured to receive the RHS Roy Lancaster Award, given to individuals aged 35 or under who have made ‘an exceptional contribution to the practice, science or promotion of horticulture
This is an exceptional opportunity to see Hunting Brook Gardens at this time of year when the gardens are generally not open to the public
Tea/Coffee on arrival
Mid-Morning Tea/Coffee and cakes
Please bring a packed lunch